Bassinet liner



Aug. 18, 1953 J. L. MEREDITH, JR, EIAL BASSINET LINER Filed March 6. 1950 IN V EN TORS Jesse L. Mereal' #5 Jr BY Barbara 5 M red/ff? vi/ y ATTORNE Y5 Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASSIN ET LINER Jesse Lynch Meredith, Jr., and Barbara B Meredith, Alameda, Calif.

Application March 6, 1950, Serial No. 147,928

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to liners for childrens beds such as bassinets and particularly to liners of this type which are heated.

The conventional bassinet consists of an open topped receptacl such as a basket which is provided with a mattress upon which a child may lie. The child is covered by blankets and the inside of the conventional bassinet is usually lined to prevent drafts, etc.

Bassinets thus constructed are unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons including, by way of example, their failure to provide means for keeping the child warm when the child throws off its covers.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of this character in which heating elements are incorporated in the side walls of the device to warm the child.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of this character which will provide sufficient circulation to prevent overheating of the child, yet which will not reduce the eiiect of the heated walls.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents a side view, in cross-section, of a bassinet incorporating our invention;

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2-4! of Figure 1 of the head of the bassinet;

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 of the foot of the bassinet;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the bassinet incorporating our invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the typical temperature range maintained within a bassinet utilizing our invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, a bassinet I0 of suitable size and shape is provided which consists of side walls I l and a bottom wall l2 and which is open at the top I3. For purposes of designation herein, the foot of the bassinet will be termed end It and the head of the bassinet will be termed end [6.

The bassinet I 0 is provided with a liner I? which, as illustrated more particularly in Figure 5, is composed of an inner wall member is and r an outer member [3, between which members there is provided a suitable resistance heating element 2| which, as illustrated in Figure 1, is adapted to be connected to a source of electric current, not shown. A thermostatic switch means 23 is provided which, in the modification herein illustrated, is responsive to the temperature of the room within which the bassinet ll! is placed. The liner I! is adapted to lie against the inside of the walls ll of the bassinet, with the outer member l9 in engagement with the wall I l of the bassinet l0.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the resistance element 2| is positioned in the liner I! in a particular manner. It will be noted, for example, that at the footend, or end I 4, of the bassinet It], the resistance element 2! is placed in a single run along the extreme lower edge of the liner l1 and, because of the fact that there is but a single run of the same, there will be a minimum of heat delivered therefrom, However, along the sides I l of the bassinet [0 the resistance element 2| is laid in a number of convolutions Zla. extending from a point at about the upper level of a mattress 24 to a point about half way up the sides of the bassinet l0. Near the head end, or end I6, of the bassinet H), the resistance element 2| is brought upwardly to a point adjacent the upper edge of the wall ll to form a number of convolutions 2| b, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The resistance element 2| is then brought down and the liner of the bassinet along the side I lb is provided with substantially the same number of convolutions in the same zone as has previously been described in connection with the side Ila.

It will be obvious that when electric current is introduced into the resistance element 2!, heat will be discharged into the bassinet whereby an infant, for example, lying therewithin will be kept warm.

A partial cover 26 is provided to enclose a certain portion of the otherwise open top 13 of the bassinet. Cover 26 provides opening 2'! near the foot of the bassinet and opening 28 near the head thereof. The area of the opening 2! is approximately 8% of the area of the entire opening 13 while the opening 28 is approximately 42% of the entire opening l3. The area of the cover 26 is approximately one-half of the entire opening I3.

We have found that the outer wall IQ of the liner [1 is preferably made of woolen material whereas the inner wall I8 is preferably formed of cotton or flannel. The outer wall !9, being of wool, will tend to retain the heat discharged from the element 2! and reflect the same inwardly. Since the inner wall I8 is composed of cotton or flannel, the heat will pass therethrough quite easily.

Operation of the apparatus may briefly be described as follows: The lining I1 is placed within the bassinet 10 substantially as illustrated in the drawings and the resistance element 2| is connected, through thermostat 23 to a suitable source of electric current. The thermostat is set for the degree of heat required or desired within the bassinet 10. The resistance element 2| is heated and the heat is reflected inwardly toward the inside of the bassinet H) by the Wall IQ of the liner 11. The resistance element 2| will tend to heat the air within the bassinet. Because of the heat generated by the convolutions near the head l6 of the bassinet I0, the air immediately adjacent the same will tendtorise; The rising of this air and the discharge of the same through the opening 28 will tend to draw cool air into the opening 21. Since there is little or no heat generated adjacent the opening 21, the inflow of air therethrough will not be interrupted by the exhaust of warm air therefrom The introduction of air through theopenins .21 and the exhaust of air through the opening 28 will main.- tain slight but sufiloi nt circulation through th entire apparatus. Warmth/will be imparted from the side walls inwardly toward the center of the bassinet.

We have found that an infant placed in such a bassinet with the thermostat set, for example, at 70 F. may be placed in the bassinet with no further covering and yet remain warm. The circulation of air through the bassinet provided by the proper placement of the resistance element 21 near the periphery of th opening 28, and the elimination of the heating element at the opening 21, will revent the atmosphere within the bassinet from becoming close and will prevent overheating of the occupant of the bassinet.

We have found, specifically, and by way of ex mp hat a assin t constructed substantially as illustrated in the drawings will provide the t mpera ures s indicated in Fig re 6; where the air entering the device is of, approximately 7 4 F. and is elevated to approximately a temperature of 79 F, about midway through its path. The air will be exhausted through the opening .28 and, ultimately recirculated through the opening 21.

We claim:

1. A bassinet liner comprising a pair of walls of flexible blanket material having a heating element therebetween, said element being only along the lower edge of the side walls and only along the upper edge of one end of the liner, said end forming a juncture between said walls, and a cover adapted to extend from the upper edge of one side wall to the upper edge of the other side wall and providing a pair of openings of unequal size in the top of a bassinet, the larger opening being adjacent that end of the liner in which the heating element is along the upper edge.

2. A bassinet construction comprising an outer wall of flexible blanket material, an inner wall of flexible blanket material, and a heating ele- :ment between said walls, said element being formed in convolutions only along the lower por-- tion of the side walls of said liner and in convolutions only along the upper portion of an end of said liner, and a partial cover extending from the top of one side wall to the. top of the other side wall forming a pair of openings of unequal size in the top portion of a bassinet, the larger openin being adjacent-that end of the liner in which the convolutions of the heating element are along the upper portion of the liner.

JESSE LYNCH MEREDITH, JR. BARBARA B. MEREDITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

